August 29, 2018 (Victoriaville, QC) – The second attempt was the charm for Montreal’s Nicolas Zukowsky (Silber). After going well close to winning honours in 2017, the Silber Pro Cycling team rider triumphed on Saturday at the summit of Mont Arthabaska, the finishing point of this 137 kilometers race played out at a breakneck pace – he cracked the 137.8 km in a little over 3 hours 30 minutes. Simone Boilard (Desjardins-Ford), riding in the Junior class, swept the honours among women, dominating the peloton in the elite pack.

Zukowsky’s Revenge
The young rider of just 20 years, hailing originally from the Laurentians, once more found himself in a winning breakaway in the company of his teammate Émile Jean, as well as valiant veteran Bruno Langlois (Vélo Cartel) and French rider Alexander Latil (Apogée-Véloselect). “I felt a lot better than last year and I still attacked at the foot of the last climb on the gravel. I fought to the head and lead to the finish. The team worked really well today. We kept attacking continuously until we got the job done,” proclaimed a cheerful but exhausted Zukowsky.

A visibly disappointed Bruno Langlois was second. “I couldn’t cover all the attacks of the guys from Silber. Adam Roberge was all alone in the middle of the race. Eventually we brought him back, but when Nicolas counter-attacked, I couldn’t go with it,” said the 39-year-old cyclist who, like Zukowsky, is set to participate in both upcoming Montreal and Quebec Grand Prix events.

For his part, Frenchman Alexander Latil finished third at the end of this ferocious fight. “Nicolas has somewhat distanced me with his last attack. He’s a very good rider so he continued to go ahead on the flat. With Bruno right behind me at the foot of the Mont Arthabaska, I was empty. I’m happy with my third place,” said Latil.

Junior Women Take it to the Seniors
Simone Boilard, the young Quebec prodigy, did justice to her reputation by really taking it to the competition in all categories. “It was a pretty simple race. I attacked from the first long sector of gravel. Magdeleine came back at me with two men Masters riders. We rode together until Mont Arthabaska and I managed to free myself at the 750 metre mark to take the line. We love maple syrup at home. With everything me and Nicolas have taken today, we’re going to be eating pancakes!”

Sherbrooke native Magdeleine Vallières-Mill (Québecor-Stingray), also a Junior, was satisfied with her first participation. “It really played out on the final climb and I just couldn’t follow Simone. Finishing second in front of all these senior riders, it’s always a big achievement.”

British Colombia’s Sara Bergen (Rally Cycling) completed the podium. “This course was perfect for me. I am very happy to get on the podium,” said Bergen, “thanks to the organization, it’s a unique event!”

Record Participation
The number of participants in the Appalachian Classic continues to grow each year. More than 750 people took part in one of the three races and four Gran Fondo proposed by the Organization this year. “We have 150 people more than in 2017, which is very encouraging,” said co-founder and president of the Appalachian Classic, Alexis Pinard.

The team and all our partners are working hard to reach out to people, from elite riders to occasional cyclists, who come and explore the wonderful landscapes of the Victoriaville region as well as the many regional products featured on our Gourmet Discovery courses. Obviously, we continue to learn as an organization, but the comments of participants are very positive and the event continues to gain momentum… we have lots of great new ideas and are already looking forward to next year!”

New Para-cycling Champions
The Appalachian Classic was also host to the Quebec Para-cycling Championships. Many Quebec athletes were returning from the recent round of the World Cup of Para-cycling in Baie-Comeau, among them, Victoriaville native Karl Moreau. In addition to taking the title in his category, Moreau received $5 for every Gran Fondo entrant in the Appalachian Classic, to help finance his competitive season. “This assistance makes a huge difference, especially towards purchasing a three-spoke wheel and giving me more opportunities to go to training camp. I want to say a huge thank you to the Classic for all their support for two years now.”

Full results here.